Hangar



19.35- c. .J. CARLOTTI HANGAR Filed June 30, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ORNEY Jan. 15, 1935. c J CARLQTTI 1,988,187

HANGAR Filed June 30, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Char/ 65 J Car/0ft! ""ATTORNEY me October 2'7, 1931,

Patented Jan- 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE g I 2 1,988,187 a HANGAR @harl es j. Carlotti, York, ApplicationJune 30', 1932, SerialNo'. 620,074

'7 Claims.

than 'air craftsas of the dirigible type, and is improvementon Patent No. 1,829,504, issued to Among the principal obj ects which the present invention has in view are: To provide an improved hangar having a rotatableroof with opening in the roof through which aircraft may be raised or lowered; to provide means on the roof which will automatically cause the roof to operate; to enable the Opening in the roof to be in alinement' with thedirection of a prevailing Wind; to. provide means for raising and lowering the aircraft; to provide means for admitting passengers into the hangar from the roof; provide means on the movable mast to break to the force of a prevailing .wind while docking aircraft; toutilize an underground tunnel for passingpeople from the hangar; to provide stor age space adjacent the hangar for aircraft not in use; to provide a structure adjacent the hangar to support a cover for the roof opening; to provide meansiforguiding the movable mast; to secure simplicity of construction and operation; and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section and diagrammatic of my improvedhangar, and which embodies the several features of the present invention;

T Figure 21s a plan looking down at Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail view of the raising and lowering means, shown as takenon the line 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a further detail view of the raising and lowering means, looking to the left of Figure 3 Figure 5 is adetail view of the cover for roof opening and. showing the cover mounted on an adjacent structure, and taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the hangar and movable mast, showing the me the ans

employed for breaking-the force of aprevailing wind;

Figure '7 is a plan similar to Figure 2, and showof the means shown Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure '7; and

Figure 10 is another sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Figure 8.

the

As seen in the drawings,- the reference numeral refers to the hangar which is preferably cylindrical in shape, provided: with a rotatable roof 16 and with a longitudinal opening 17 of appropriate shape to receive aircraft of the dirigible typeand located away from; the central portion of the roof l6. Construction'ofthe several parts of the hangar and the: required: other structure are preferably of truss supports and somewhat similar to those parts-shown'as' used inmy Patent No. 1,829,504 of October 2'1, 1931.

Adjacent to-the hangar 15 is a movable mooring mast 18. This mast is preferably a properly braced frame work structure carried by a truck 19 mounted upon a, continuous circular track20 extending around the hangar'in' close proximity thereto. The mast provides a head portion 21 which extends laterally inward over the top of the rotatable roof 16; for a distance sufiicient to enable the inner edge ofsaid projecting head portion to overlie'the end of said longitudinal opening 1': when desired. 7

The upper end of the forward edge of the said head portion provides suitable means for anchoring a dirigible 22 thereto, said means preferably being vertically sliclable in order to. lower the dirigible through the opening when the mast and dirigible are in proper relation withrespect-to said opening.

A guide rail 23 is provided to extend downwardly from the end of the: roof opening for receiving and guiding said anchoring means downwardly into the hangar, said rail being in continuation of the corresponding'rail on theforward edge of the mast. When the roof isrotated, said guide rail 23: rotates with: it so as to be in proper position. at all timeswith respect to the opening.

If so desired, means maybe provided near the other end of the opening 17 and rotatable'with the roof for obtaining. attachment to the stern of the dirigible-both for the purpose of guiding the stern through the opening and for applying a positive lowering impulse to the stern in conjunction with the lowering impulse applied at the bow of thedirigible. This means may con'ven iently comprise a pair of verticalrails 24 hung from the roof and receivingtherebetween a horizontally disposed rider 25 which is slidably guided at its ends by said rails and which has suitable raising and lowering means attached thereto.

As here shown, the raising and lowering means comprises cables 26 extending over pulleys 27 at the upper part of the rails and downwardly to cable drums 28 connected to motors 29 for actuatis an upstanding connector of appropriate construction for attaching the same to the stern of the dirigible.

It may here be noted that the dirigible 22 may be first anchored to the movable mast while heading into the wind, and the mast may be moved to the side of the hangar for this operation so as to enable the anchoring to be effected with the dirigible over'the ground rather than over the roof. The mast may then be carried around upon its tracks 20 so as to continue to head the dirigible into the wind but bring it over the roof. Passengers may then be landed upon the roof.

As here shown, there is preferably provided a central tower 31 beneath the roof and which may conveniently be used to aid in supporting the same. This tower preferablycontains one or more elevators (not shown) and a stairway (also not shown) enabling the passengers to leave or gain access to the roof. At the bottom of the elevator shaft and stairway is provided a tunnel 32 extending under the floor of the hangar to the exterior so that passengers will not have to enter the hangar.

In connection with the movable mast, I have shown a louver or Windbreaker 33 (see Figure 6) which is vertically slidable if so desired so the aiding in the docking of the dirigible. 7

It is preferable to provide means for closing the opening 17 through which the 'dirigible is raised and lowered. through the roof. For this f purpose I have shown'a horizontally movable closure 34 which furthermore is movable in a direction longitudinally of said opening and en- 7 tirely removable from the roof in open position.

To this end I provide a supporting structure 35 adjacent to' the hangar 15 and aligned with the opening in one position of the roof.

This structure is properly shaped and positioned at its end toward the hangar to afford passage of the movable mast therebetween. At the top of the supporting'structure toward the hangar is hinged a bridge 36 which canbe swung back out of the way for passing the mast, and

may be swung down on to the roof when desired to move the closure on or 01f theroof.

Remote from the roof opening 17 is arranged a means for automatically controlling the roof so as to position the said opening in direct line with the wind direction. Said means may conveniently provide a vane 37 vertically supported by a shaft 38 properly mounted in bearings enabling the vane to readily assume a position of least resistance to the wind. The lower end of the shaft is shown carrying a' horizontal plate 39 with an upstanding cam 40 extending substantially half way around the periphery of the plate.

At the substantially diametrically opposite points are provided opposed mercury switches 41, 41, so arranged that when the vane is exactly parallel with the roof opening, neither switch is lifted by the cam. However, when the vane turns out of parallel in one direction, one

switch 41 is lifted, whereas when the vane swings out of parallel in the other direction the other switch. islifted. Each switch is properly connected through the roof control motor (not shown) so as to cause the roof to rotate in the necessary direction to bring the vane and roof opening back to parallel relationship. This automatic means is utilized while the dirigible is being lowered into or raised out of the opening.

This control is also extended to a corresponding may be made in the construction and use of my invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact structure shown or described, except as set forth in the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A hangar for aircraft comprising a cylindricalhousing having a rotatable roof,- 2. niast movable with respect to both said roof and housing, said roof having an opening through which to pass the aircraft, and said mast being movable to a position adjacentone end of said opening, and said opening being offset from the center of rotation of the roof, and a tower at the center of rotation of the roof extending thereto from the ground, and providing means for gaining access to and egress from the roof.

2. A hangar for aircraft comprising a cylindrical housing having a rotatable roof, a mast movable with respect to both said roof and housing, said roof having an'opening through which to pass the aircraft, and said mast being movable to a position adjacent one end of said opening, and said opening being offset from the center of rotation of the roof, a tower at the center of rotation of the roof extending thereto from the ground, and providing means for gaining access to and egressfrom the roof, and a tunnel from the lower end of said tower to the exterior of said hangar.

in the roof removable to said structure for sup-' port thereby clear of the roof while moving aircraft into or out of the hangar through, said opening.

4 A hangar for aircraft comprising a cylindrical housing having a rotatable roof, said roof having an opening through which to pass the aircraft, a vane rotatably mounted on said roof remote from the opening and adapted to assume a position parallel to said opening, and means for automatically rotating the roof upon shifting of direction of the vane under influence of the wind so as to maintain the parallelism between said opening and vane.

5. A hangar for aircraft comprising a cylindrical housing having a rotatable roof a mast movable with respect to both said roof and housing, said roof having anoffset opening through which to pass the aircraft, a vanerotatably mounted on said roof remote from said opening and adapted to assume a position parallel to said opening,

means for supporting said vane to the roof, and switches for rotatably operating the roof and causing the roof to rotate whereby the opening will be in parallel relationship to the vane while raising and lowering aircraft in the hangar.

6. A hangar for aircraft comprising a cylindrical housing having a rotatable roof, a mast movable with respect to both said roof and housing, said roof having an offset opening through which to pass the aircraft, a vane rotatably mounted on said roof remote from said opening and adapted to assume a position parallel to said opening, means for supporting said vane to the roof, a circular plate secured to said means having an upstanding cam extending substantially half way around the periphery of said plate, and a pair of switches adapted to engage said cam for rotatably operating the roof and causing the roof to rotate whereby the opening will be in parallel relationship to the vane while raising and lowering aircraft in the hangar.

7. A hangar for aircraft comprising in combination a cylindrical housing having a rotatable roof, tracks encircling and adjacent the outside of said housing, a mast at its base and rotatable with respect to both said roof and housing mounted on said tracks, said roof having an opening through which to pass the aircraft, said mast at its upper part adapted to overlie the roof and said opening, guideways on said upper part of said mast, said guideways extending downwardly and through said opening into the interior of the housing, andva shield having openings secured to said upper part of the mast adapted to slide up and down the guideways for breaking the force of wind and aid in docking the aircraft, and having means for attaching aircraft thereto.

CHARLES J. CARLOTTI. 

